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Abstract

Natural dissolved organic matter (OM) is a complex heterogeneous mixture of compounds that
have defied traditional characterization using standard analytical methods. Electrospray
ionization mass spectrometry, particularly ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry, has
provided a new platform for compositional assessment of this important pool of the Earth’s
reduced carbon. Here, we propose a framework for optimization of instrument and experiment
parameters for high quality data acquisition using Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance
mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR‐MS). We report the impact of these parameters on reproducibility of
peak detection and repeatability of peak height in replicate injections of Suwannee River fulvic
acid (FA), a common terrestrial OM standard. In addition, we examine the variability in peak
detection and peak height among different types of experimental replicates of dissolved OM
derived from laboratory cultures of Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique, a ubiquitous marine α‐
proteobacterium.